CHAMPIONSHIP

The national ice hockey team got off to an impressive start at the World Championship in Moscow. In their April 27 opening game, the Czechs outmatched Belarus 8–2. In the next game, April 29, the team beat Austria 6–1. A May 1 match was scheduled against the United States.

On April 25, Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek joined the national team’s last practice before its departure to the championships. Topolánek donned a jersey and skated with the team before attempting penalty shots against goalie Roman Čechmánek. Topolánek preferred the hockey practice to making an appearance at a ceremony in Nošovice, north Moravia, where Hyundai officially launched construction of its car plant.

The Prague Lions took the EFAF Cup opener April 28, knocking off visiting Carinthian (Karnten, Austria), 17–13, in a dramatic comeback. Down 13–3 at the half, the Lions charged back on touchdown passes from quarterback Libor Navrátil to tight end Martin Hamza and wideout Jan Hlavatý. Two defensive stands sealed the win, the second after Carinthian recovered a blocked punt in the Prague red zone with less than two minutes remaining. The Lions are ranked 11th among European clubs and take on Winterthur in EFAF play May 26.

Soccer star Karel Poborský announced that he would end his career this summer. The 35-year-old earned international recognition as a player for European clubs including Manchester United, Benfica Lisbon and Lazio Rome. This season, Poborský has been playing with České Budějovice, the club he co-owns. Poborský also owns a network of sports shops, and in late April he was named new operations manager of the Czech national team.

The Czech women’s tennis team will take on Spain in the Fed Cup’s playoff round July 14–15 in Spain. The winner of the match will advance to the cup’s elite group of eight teams.

Former No. 1 tennis player Martina Hingis and Czech player Radek Štěpánek have announced they will have their wedding by the end of the year. Hingis, who was born in Czechoslovakia but now plays for Switzerland, got engaged to Štěpánek last November in Prague.

Ski jumper Jan Mazoch announced that he would return to the hills next season. Mazoch was knocked unconscious when he fell during a jump at a World Cup event in Zakopane, Poland, last January. He remained in a coma for almost a week.  

Legendary Czech soccer midfielder Andrej Kvašňák died of lung cancer April 18 at the age of 70. Kvašňák was a member of the Czechoslovak team that advanced to the 1962 World Cup finals in Chile.

Women’s basketball team Gambrinus Brno lived up to its reputation as a dynasty. The Moravian team defeated USK Prague, 77–60, in the April 24 finals of the top division, securing its 12th championship in a row.

The Czech Olympic Committee has revealed the prize money for medal winners at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. Gold medal winners in individual sports will earn 1 million Kč ($48,540), while runners-up will receive 500,000 Kč and bronze winners 300,000 Kč. Should a team win gold medals, each member would receive 300,000 Kč.